River: Curvature
by ladyasile
Summary: Sequel to River. A new chance seems promising, until something shatters it.


**River: Curvature**

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Disclaimer: I do not own YYH, but I sure do hope I own the lousy plot.

Warnings: Character deaths, BL is mentioned, some yaoi smut, total AU, perhaps some OOC, and BAD writing.

A/N: Special thanks to Brokenshardsofmyheart99, who would have checked this if I had had some time. Another thanks to the fine people who kept telling me to update. This would not happen without you all.

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Accurate Commencement

When he had been unable to fire the shot, he knew that the punishment would be far worse. Now that Touya and Karasu had hit the ground, after trying to protect him, it became obvious that there would be no way out of it. As the throng of members cornered him, nothing else seemed to matter to him. All that his mind was able to fathom was the thoughts of pain that would be involved. Their hands detained him and escorted him out of the room.

Although his friends had tried to protect him, he knew they would not suffer the same fate that awaited him. If their leader had remained alive, he knew that no such thing would have happen. However, once his death was announced, many members with high ambitions tried to take over. Sensui's whereabouts had remained unknown since the passing of their leader. And with no guide, it became anarchy.

Several had tried to control the large organization, but all had failed. Their current leader had no idea as to how to run the organization; therefore, he did as he pleased. Any who contravened him where disposed off. Not obeying the order he had received was what earned him the punishment.

Despite the threat to his life, Kurama could not bring himself to eliminate the girl. She had no business and no ties, aside from being his target's daughter, with them. However, not even that stopped their leader from executing her as she begged for her life.

As he was being lead to wherever it is that culpable were taken, the hands of his oppressors began to tighten. If he were to live after the tribulation, there would be bruises embellishing his arms. All the while, he had not taken notice until now that he was being dragged rather than led. Closing his eyes and exhaling, he lifted himself up at a snail's pace and managed to make his legs move.

The walkway was empty, not a single person would ever go by there alone. His footsteps seemed to echo with each step that he took. The air around him began to grow cold, but he did not shiver. It felt right, not unusual. Although his stomach ached him, the icy sensation that ran through his body soothed it, almost covering the pain with something else. Kurama hadn't felt that way since when Sensui had been with him on the day of the massacre.

It made him feel numb.

"This is it," one of the members who held him whispered. It was obvious that he had qualms about what he was doing. "Kurama, I don't want to, but--"

"Save it," another growled. "You've got a family to take care off and I'd rather not be killed. We _have_ to do this. Kurama understands."

Kurama was pushed inside a cramped room. As he turned to face the two men who had brought him there, his breath became uneven. Feeling his clothing being removed almost made him faint, but when he felt cold steel on his flesh he hoped he would pass out soon enough.

He awoke, still inside the room they had taken him too. It felt damp, but it was too dark too see what the source of the dampness was. By flexing his fingers, he knew they were still intact and not broken. Using his fingers once more, he touched the soggy floor and felt it's texture. It didn't feel like water, but it was a liquid. Kurama didn't know whether he should be glad or not about it.

Breathing out, he felt a sharp pain on his side. It pained him every time he exhaled or inhaled too much air. Kurama groaned as he attempted to get himself to his knees. Once he did, he clenched his teeth from the pain it caused him. From the sharp stinging he felt, he deduced that he had a large gash on his leg. Although, he knew it wouldn't be clear until he had light. Trembling, he brought himself up to an almost erect position.

There was no telling where the door was, so it reduced his options to touching the wall in the front of him and making his way to the door. Although it sounded like an easy task, the aches and irritations limited his movements and prolonged his weariness. Just as he was about to drop, his hand collided with the doorknob in what he assumed was an inept manner. It had caused his hand to ache much more, but the fresh air from the outside had made it worth while.

It was nighttime now. The chances of anyone finding him at the moment were slight, unless someone else had committed a crime against the current ruler. 'At least I managed to make it here,' he thought to himself. 'If only I wasn't so weak…'

Shadows closed in on him.

"I'll never find the appeal to listening to such music," Touya said as he picked up the food tray from Kurama lap. "Jin was really into love songs, too. I'm willing to wager that you two would have had long conversations about them."

Some seasons had passed since Jin's passing, but the sorrow in Touya's voice was as obvious as ever. Kurama often found Touya in a state of inattentiveness. It didn't take him three guesses to figure out what was on the young man's mind. "I don't know why I listen to them either. They just remind me of what I used to have… What I can no longer grasp. And yet, I can't keep them at bay."

A guileless smile grew on Touya's face. "At times I find myself mumbling lyrics from love songs. I didn't even know I had picked up a few lines, but… Even when I start mumbling them, I don't stop right away. It's one of the few times that I truly feel close to Jin." Touya's eyes remained closed for a long spell. They opened when a bird outside had begun to sing. "As for you," he said as if he hadn't paused, "I don't think you're incapable of grasping what you have lost again. It might be different this time."

Not looking up at Touya, Kurama nodded. "If you say so. Then again, I don't know what the future holds. You could be right, Touya."

"Life always gets better when you are at your lowest. If you can endure the worst, you get rewarded. At least, that's what Jin used to tell me back then." Touya's face held a faded expression.

Kurama bowed his head and let out a smile. "You two really loved one another," he stated, knowing he'd be right in his assumption. The man in front of him nodded, all of a sudden looking much more younger than he was. "How long did you two know each other? I apologize if it's rude, but I am curious."

Without much hesitation, Touya spoke. "We knew each other ever since we were kids. Back then I used to think he was bothersome, and he thought I was arrogant. Although we had such opinions of each other, we always wound up together." He paused for a moment as he took a seat next to Kurama's bed. From there he seemed to have a view of the window. "I don't know how we ended up falling for each other, but I do remember who made the first move."

A shade of red began to flourish on the man's face. "Someone had stolen his candy, and although he had tried to get it back, he failed. You should have seen his expression. It didn't look as if someone had stolen his candy; it was more as if someone had kidnapped his kitten." Inhaling a breath, he faced the window. "I gave him all the candy I had, since I didn't like too many sweets back then. In no time he began to smile again."

Despite the fact that Touya was facing away from him, Kurama suspected that his eyes were beginning to glisten with unshed tears. Whether they were tears produced from the blissful memory or not, he didn't know. "And just like that, he kissed me… Well, after laughing like an idiot, which he did again afterwards," Touya resumed. "Although I do have to admit that I acted like an idiot at times too."

"Everyone does," Kurama said to him.

Facing him yet again, Touya nodded. "Did you ever have a romantic relationship? I'm presuming that you did, seeing as how this conversation started."

Feeling weary yet again, Kurama grinned. "Yes. It was dreadful for me, which is so unlike your experience. I wish I could have found someone better at times, but if I had… Everything would be different, and I don't know… Even though the majority of my experiences haven't been great ones, it was still a journey that taught me many things."

"You speak as if your journey is done," Touya pointed out.

"You're right," he agreed. "How far do you think your journey goes?"

Touya's eyes widened by a fraction before calming. "Who knows?" His vague answer made Kurama want to close his eyes and think back to a time when he had little worries.

_**Novel Dominion**_

"You've returned. Why now?" Kurama asked the man before him.

It had been sometime since he had last seen Yusuke. Although he had grown a couple of inches taller and his hair no longer was as messy as before, he remained the same. The one true difference that could be spotted, aside from his height and hair, was the new look he had within his eyes. Unlike before, he no longer carried the spirit of someone who enjoyed a little mischief now and then.

"Keiko didn't want to be with me after _he_ died, so after getting her to safety and making sure that no one would find her, I came here." The youth in his voice had vanished too. "But I didn't come here alone. I brought back someone who will restore order. It wasn't easy to find him, but when I did… Well, we got into a fight and I won." Yusuke chuckled.

Unsure of what to do, Kurama moved in closer and embraced his friend. "It's great to have you and Sensui back. The organization needs you both now more than ever. And… I've missed you."

Their meeting was cut short when Touya came to them and told them about Sensui's return. "He wants everyone to gather in front of his office," he said, with a smile forming on his face. "Yusuke, it's nice to see you again. Are you going to stay?"

Just like before, Yusuke laughed and nodded. "Yeah. I get the feeling that I'm going to be much more important now." After his laughter had died out, he looked at Touya. "We'll restore this organization back to the way it was… To what Jin valued and died for."

"We should go," Kurama said to them.

One look at the crowd around them told Kurama that things were going to change now. It would not be simple, but for the moment the future looked bright and promising. Sensui came out of his office and gazed at them all. He wore a different face, but the air around him felt heavy with authority.

Total silence washed away whispers. "Due to the death of our former real leader, I hereby take command of this organization. You all now follow my orders. If that displeases any of you… Then challenge me for control, but I warn you I am not easy to defeat." Although he had been speaking to them all, when he spoke his last sentence, Sensui's eyes rested on Yusuke.

"Are you interested in challenging him?" Kurama could not help but ask.

Yusuke shrugged. "Maybe later, but not now. I'll let him handle all of this mess before I challenge him."

Throughout the day, Kurama noticed that the majority of the people around him seemed less tensed. It was as if a much needed breath of air had been taken. Since Sensui had taken control once more, it was like a breath of fresh air. The rules of the tyrants were no longer being upheld by their minions. Everything was right back to what they had come to know as normal.

"Everyone's having a good time, huh? Yusuke asked him as he handed him a drink. "I'm glad things are getting better. From what some have told me, this place fell apart."

Examining his drink, Kurama found four ice cubes in it. The drink looked clear, with some tiny bubbles in it. There was no telling what it was. "It was shattering. Every single rule our deceased leader had established was ignored. Anarchy, basically."

Yusuke nodded. "Well, so much for that. Sensui will fix things right back to the way they were. After a long absence, it's good to be back. I think I missed the people around here the most. Remember how things used to be like?" The look in Yusuke's eyes changed yet again. For that brief moment of remembrance, his eyes looked youthful and blithe.

"I think you've had too much to drink," Kurama teased him. Yusuke laughed. "May I ask a question?" The raven-haired man raised an eyebrow at the question. "Right… Why was Sensui gone for so long?"

Tossing the glass aside, Yusuke cleared his throat, never once acknowledging the broken glass behind him. "Kurama, I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone else. If Sensui finds out I told you, he will kill me. Not kidding, he will."

It took Kurama a moment to convince himself that he indeed did want hear. "I promise, Yusuke."

Just as Yusuke was about to tell him, Sensui showed up. "Yusuke, you shouldn't drink too much. If you're too drunk to keep a hold of your glass, I'll call a cab and send you on your way home."

Kurama, who had taken a taste of his drink, discharged it. Both Sensui and Yusuke looked at him. However, it was Sensui who showed concerned, whereas Yusuke tried hard not to laugh. "Sorry," he mumbled as he cleaned up the mess.

Sensui nodded in stages. "That makes two of you," he muttered. As he did, someone in the background shouted Sensui's name, causing him to turn. It appeared as if Sensui knew something about it, since he raised his hand and signaled for someone to step forward. Several men pushed someone to the fore.

The man didn't wear a suit (like everyone else), but he was dressed in a rather refined manner. His hair was black, but it was styled in a fashion that reminded him of Shizuru's younger brother. Not quite like it, but similar nonetheless. None of his hair sheltered his eyes, but the glasses he wore did.

With a heavy, almost melodramatic sigh, Sensui brought the man forward. From the corner of his eye, Kurama saw Yusuke raise an eyebrow before looking at Sensui. "Yusuke, do you remember Kaito? Good, you remember something." At that remark, Yusuke was about to argue, but Sensui motioned for him to hold it off. "Kurama, this is Kaito. He's our new accountant here, and one of my closest member of staff…" Rather than explaining further, Sensui grabbed Yusuke by the arm and led him away. Just before they were out of earshot, Sensui shouted, "He wants to talk to you, Kurama."

Several pairs of eyes turned to them. Kurama wondered if this was how Touya had felt when they had been talking about his relationship with Jin. "You wanted to talk?" he asked, trying to shield himself from everyone's view without Kaito realizing it.

From the rosy hue on Kaito's face, it appeared as if he shared the same need to hide as well. "We haven't exactly met, but I have heard of you. You arrived here not too long ago. In fact, it was Mr. Sensui who recruited you. It appeared strange that he picked you up without much trouble, but I suppose he does have his reasons. You do realize that you're well-known around here, don't you?"

Most of what the man had said had been too low and rapid for his ears to catch, but Kurama had a feeling e knew where this was leading to. Deciphering what the man wanted was simple, but answering would not be. And yet, there seemed to be a part of him that wanted the attention. Seeing Kaito talk to him was beginning to do strange things to him.

Swallowing, he made up his mind. However, trying to speak up was rather more tricky than he thought it would be. Kaito had kept going on about how he had heard of him. There wasn't any other solution but to place his hand on the man's lips. "Are you trying to ask me out?" he inquired, voice soft. Kaito nodded. "I see. Well, when?" Kaito froze for a moment. 'I don't think he was expecting me to say yes,' Kurama thought.

Even though it had been a mere month since they had began dating, most of their time was being spent in bed. Kurama had been able to suppress his sexual yearning, but he soon gave in after he realized what Kaito's kisses were capable off. The first time they had been so near to one another, Kurama felt himself grow erect.

It had made him move away from Kaito, but the man realized what had happened before he could conceal it. Rather than trying to get their clothes off, Kaito moved closer to him and began creating friction between them. The sensation made him come at an instant.

Ever since then, they had moved on to removing their clothes and lying together. Often, Kurama pictured someone else on top. He never admitted it to Kaito, for he wanted more of what they had. It wasn't just sex for him. Kaito interested him in a way that no one else did. The man was quite intelligent, haughty at times, and he never tired of his company. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't see him, or received something from him. It was dissimilar from his previous relationship.

At the moment he found himself holding on to the bathroom countertop in Kaito's apartment. Feeling his cock being surrounded by damp heat just about made him fall to the floor. He hadn't ever felt it, but something told him that he would want more later on.

He came.

_**Fight Or Flee**_

Delivering the cargo that he had been made in charge of was what he was looking forward to all day. After dealing with some unpleasant costumers, his body didn't feel like moving for another couple of hours. During it all, he promised himself a vacation. It wasn't as if he hadn't earned it. The single problem with getting his vacation was in his hands. To his dissatisfaction it was also the last delivery he had.

The person he had to meet hadn't shown up to meet him, but he had called and told him to meet him elsewhere. Now he was left waiting in the cold. Even though the sun was out, there was plenty of snow around him to make him feel cold. Although he had to admit that the view was not at all bad. Not many came to the park anymore, for more various reasons. It was taken care of by the city, just like most, but since few came there, the park remained immaculate.

Whenever the wind blew, he would move around, in order to keep himself warm. It didn't do him much good, but it was better than standing still. The swaying of the tress caught his eye and made him wonder how they could endure such harsh winters. Some of the not so many leaves fell and rode the wind, to whatever destination awaited them.

Following the path of some leaves, his eyes caught sight of a man approaching him. He wore a long black coat that covered all of his body. Around his neck was a scarf that covered up to his nose. From where he stood, he couldn't make out much of the features, aside from his hair color. While keeping his eyes on him, he hoped it was who he was supposed to meet.

The man stopped a few feet away from him and removed his scarf. "Are you from Sensui's group?" he asked, not looking at him.

No longer wishing it was who he was supposed to meet, Kurama dropped the package and ran.

As soon as he reached his apartment, he locked the door and collapsed. 'It was _him_. I should have known better than to think that I was safe here.' He rose to his feet and walked toward his bed. With a sigh, he laid down and closed his eyes. "I will have to meet him…" The thought it itself provided him with many thoughts. Minutes flew by, but he had yet to lift himself out of bed.

When he had at last decided to go speak with Sensui about what had happened, he heard a knock. Frowning, he got up and walked up to the door. Rather than opening it at once, he paused in front of it. Another knock came seconds later, beckoning him to answer it. Once more he resisted. A moment went by before yet another knock came, and this time he placed his hand on the handle. With a quiet swallow, he opened it.

Even though the door had yet to open all the way, he backed away. It wasn't long before the person on the other side of the door took a hold of it and opened it to get in. "What the hell, Kurama? Why didn't you open the door all of the way?" Yusuke's voice!

"Yusuke, what are you doing here? And why were you knocking in such an awkward manner?" As fast as the gust that closed the door behind Yusuke, he began to smile and eliminate all signs of his anxiety.

Yusuke walked in and sat on a chair in his kitchen. It was obvious enough that the raven-haired man was expecting something to eat. Without a delay he headed into the kitchen and began to search for ingredients, still not sure of what he was going to make. The process of finding any food was far longer than the one to cook them.

As soon as he turned on the stove, Yusuke began to talk. "Sensui,"--his shoulders tensed at sound of the name--"got word that the package had been delivered on time." Kurama began to relax until he remembered. If that had been all, there would be no need for Yusuke to have had come there. There was more to the story. "I'm probably wasting my breath with this, huh? Kurama, why did you run? You didn't even collect the money from the guy. It just doesn't seem like you. Obviously something's wrong, and I want to know what."

The meal he had been preparing went unnoticed by both. Stillness.

"You want to know why?" Yusuke didn't answer and Kurama wasn't waiting for him to. "That man… I knew him long ago, and I don't wish to meet him again anytime soon. The delivery was jeopardized because of my reaction. For that I apologize, but you can't make me go and meet him." Once the stove had been turned off, he turned to Yusuke, but said nothing. As he left, he heard Yusuke get up too.

No longer did it appear as if he would have home or loved on to go back to.

_**Quiescent**_

There were better things to waste his money on, he knew. Yet as he drank the alcoholic beverage, nothing better popped into his mind. The liquid went down his throat, scorching it a bit. It was his first real experience with an alcoholic beverage, but not even that prevented him from ordering another and another, until he felt he could no longer drink more. He could hear the music in the background, albeit it sounded like cats fighting.

The music came to an end. When the next song began to play, a customer walked into the airless room. It was a man, who wore nothing but black. Although his clothes made him stand out, they made him the best-looking out of the all of the people in the room. No one took notice of the man, but Kurama. When the man sat, he sat next to him. Expecting to be confused for a girl again, Kurama turned to look at him. Rather than seeing a stranger, he laid eyes on someone very familiar to him.

Just as the chorus line of the song began to play, the man turned to him and let out a gasp. "Kurama?" All of a sudden, the room began to feel smaller. "It is you!" There was nothing that he could do to deny it. After all, he knew the man quite well.

"Kuronue."

Both men kept their eyes on each other, all of a sudden alone. It took Kuronue a minute and a glass of something dark to at last speak again. When he did, his face had adjusted to what Kurama had been used to seeing. "I'm not dreaming, am I? Fuck, of course I'm not. How the hell did you get here?"

Bringing his drink to his lips, he shrugged, and swallowed. "Several trials took place. They each led me here, at least for now." Turning away from Kuronue, he drank again. This time the drink didn't feel quite as good as the previous ones. It made him shiver. "I never knew you came here, Kuronue," he said, eyes still on his glass.

It was by no means clean. That made it impracticable for him to believe that Kuronue of all people would visit such a place. A place where the walls had visible fractures, paint peeling off, and blood stains on the floor was no place for Kuronue. He was always the type to want to go somewhere clean, and one with a good reputation.

"I didn't until a while back," he replied with a nod. Smirking, he added, "Doesn't seem like my type of place, does it?" Kurama shook his head. "You don't have a place to go to, do you? I'm still your friend, Kurama, and I want what's best for you. Although, that probably made me sound like your mum. What I mean is, do you want to go back to my house? I'm not pushing you into it, nor am I trying to make you into a charity case."

Without thinking about it too much, Kurama shook his head. "I'll be fine, Kuronue. Thank you, though. It was kind of you to--"

"Damn it, Kurama! I'm taking you to my house, whether you like it or not!" Kuronue shouted, his face set in a scowl. Before they knew it, they became the center of attention of the entire room. Some of the men in there wore disgusted frowns, while others smirked. Kurama knew why from the start, but it had taken Kuronue a good moment to figure it out. "Damn it, not like that! He's not a prostitute or anything like that!" he said to them all. A rosy hue filled Kuronue's cheeks.

Rather than prolonging the attention and lewd gestures that were being thrown their direction, Kurama took hold of his friend's hand and led him outside. Spotting the familiar vehicle that Kuronue had had since he could drive, he made his way there. Looking at Kuronue, he said, "We should go…" Not waiting for Kuronue to say anything, he moved himself next to the passenger's seat door.

Kuronue opened both of their doors and they got in without a word. Their silence was broken when Kuronue turned to him and spoke. "Did we pay for the drinks?" Kurama began to shake his head, but the lightheadedness it caused made him stop. There was a short laugh from his friend before they drove off, not bothering to go back to pay for what they owed.

When the sun rose and broke through the window's curtains, Kurama awoke. Part of him congratulated him on experiencing his first hang over, while the other told him to never drink again. As he threw the sheets off of him he took notice of two things. The first being the lack of clothing on his body. And the second was Kuronue sitting on a chair in front of him. As always he wore his long hair up, some of it cascading across his face.

There was not a smile on the man's face, but Kurama hadn't expected anything merry from him. "You were really wasted, weren't you?" Kuronue asked as he narrowed his eyes. "Kurama… Please, just tell me what's been happening with you. I haven't seen or heard from you in a very long time. You left without telling me! I had to go to _him_ for answers. The bastard didn't tell me a damn thing that proved useful. Just… At least let me know that you haven't been suffering."

Kuronue's body trembled. It was clear that his friend wanted to know what had happened. Taking in a breath, Kurama nodded. "Very well. Kuronue, I've done things that I never knew I could do." It took him quite a while to explain the majority of the things to Kuronue. During which he omitted certain key details. It was unknown how Kuronue would react if he learned about them. Aside from that, everything else he excluded was to protect his friend, incase anyone saw him with Kuronue.

When he at last finished, Kuronue stood up from his seat and paced around the room for some minutes. There were times when he would flicker a look at him. "Kurama… Fuck it. What you told me sounds like, well…"

"Something I would never do?" Kurama offered.

"Exactly. I guess I should take that as the truth. As far as I know, there's no reason for you to lie to me. Exclude some details, yes, but not lie to me." Kuronue smiled at him. "Kurama, why don't you stay with me? At least until you have a place of your own."

The offered hadn't surprised him. Kuronue had always allowed him to stay, and now was no different. However, if Sensui had indeed gone through with the rules, there was now a price on his head. So far he hadn't a clue as to what that meant. Yet he knew enough to repudiate the proposition.

Shaking his head, he said, "No. I appreciate, but I can't. Thank you, Kuronue."

End of Part II.


End file.
